Permit Coyote Buttes North - The Wave
Everything about the desired permits
General information about the permits for Coyote Buttes North
To visit the Coyote Buttes North (CBN) area you need a permit. This must be purchased prior to the visit. Every day 64 of these permits are issued. Each permit is valid for one person. 48 of these permits are issued four months in advance by online lottery. 16 additional permits will be drawn online two days in advance. If you are caught in the CBN area without a permit, you will be subject to hefty fines. The area is regularly controlled by rangers of the BLM.
Both the online lottery and the on-site online lottery are very crowded. Since the chances of getting a permit are therefore not particularly high, you should always have a backup program up your sleeve.
Online Permits
UPDATE - January 11, 2021: Starting in January 2021, permits for the Wave will be expanded from 20 to 64 permits or 16 groups/day (whichever is reached sooner). Thereby 48 permits or max. 12 groups/day will be drawn online and 16 permits or 4 groups on site in Kanab. It is to be observed first how this extension affects particularly in relation to security, garbage and influence on nature. In the most favorable case these Permits can be extended up to 96/day. We'll see how it all works out in practice, but at least it's a better chance for those who haven't had any luck yet to hike to the Wave. Official info about this permit extension.
NEW: Since 01 October 2020 you can find the online lottery at www.recreation.gov. Ansonsten ändert sich im Prinzip zu dem bisherigen Prozedere recht wenig. Um an der Verlosung teilnehmen zu können muss man sich als erstes auf der Seite recration.gov and create an account. Everything you need to know about this and about the permits can be found on the page linked above.
Each month, permits for 48 people or 12 groups (max. 6 people/group)/day, whichever is reached first, will be drawn.
You have to register 4 months in advance on the website of www.recreation.gov i.e. you can register e.g. the whole January for Permits in May. You don't have to hurry, because you have the whole month of January to register. The whole of February you can then register for June, the whole of March for July and so on.
When registering, you enter your name and e-mail address and choose three desired dates in the corresponding month. Each person can register for a maximum of 6 people in his group. But note, only one person in the group can apply for a permit for all of them. If all of the group always register for 6 people and this is noticed, you are out of the draw. After registration you have to pay 9$ processing fee by credit card. After you have received your confirmation e-mail, you have to wait...
The lottery always takes place on the 1st day of the following month. For example, if you have registered in January to win permits in May, the draw will take place on February 1st at 9am (Kanab time). After the drawing, all participants will be notified by email. In the unlikely event that you win a permit, you will follow the instructions in the email and will then receive your won permit in the mail. This may take a few weeks - but don't worry, the permit will arrive...
But even in case you don't get the permit for some reason, you don't have to panic. Since the permits are not transferable, you can also pick up your permit personally on site, because the name is registered.
Walk in Permits
Current as of 03/15/2022: Starting from 15 March 2022, the on-site lottery will also be switched to an online system. As before, 16 permits or 4 groups - depending on which is reached first - will be drawn.
Timing of the permit drawing:
Day 1: Man hat die Möglichkeit sich von 6 Uhr bis 18 Uhr für die vor Ort Permit Verlosung online über die App von recreation.gov zu registrieren. Hierfür muss man sich in einem bestimmten Gebiet aufhalten. Dieses Gebiet kann man auf this map sehen. Im wesentlichen erstreckt es sich über Kanab und Page und das Gebiet dazwischen. Die Registrierung muss dabei immer zwei Tage vor dem gewünschten Wandertag zur Wave erfolgen. Um 19:15 Uhr erhält man per email Bescheid ob die Lotterie erfolgreich war und man ein Permit gewonnen hat.
Day 2: By 8 a.m. you have to pick up and pay for your permit at one of the two permit pick-up stations. From 8:30 a.m. you will get all the necessary explanations and safety instructions at the same place.
Permits can be picked up at the following locations:
Kanab Center, 20 N 100 E, Kanab, UT 84741 or
Page-Lake Powell HUB, 48 S Lake Powell Blvd, Page, AZ 86040
Please note that Arizona has a different time zone from March to November. The pickup times refer to the time in Utah!!! I.e. during Daylight Saving Time 8am Utah time is 7am in Arizona.
Day 3: If you were lucky enough to win a permit on day 1, the hike to the Wave will take place today.
Costs: Registration costs $9/group - If you win a permit, the permit costs $7/person.
Permits that are not picked up or are cancelled will expire and will not be returned to the lottery.
All important information about the lottery and the conditions can be found at the website of recreation.gov. Through this page you can also register for the permits.
We tested this process in April 2022 and everything went relatively smoothly. For us, the registration for the lottery only worked via the app. It didn't work via the browser, which is probably due to the fact that the cell phone can be localized and thus it can be determined whether you are really in the required area. Otherwise, everything is very simple. After registering, you simply wait for the email and, if successful, you will receive instructions on how to proceed.
A few more general notes:
Before heading out to the trailhead, always check the road conditions along House Rock Valley Road as well. It is unpaved throughout and the road to the trailhead where the hike starts is 8 miles off pavement. During and after rain, House Rock Valley Road can become impassable!!! Everyone drives off the road at their own risk and is not insured in case of an accident (check conditions in the rental car contract!!!).
If you are lucky enough to win a permit, the rangers will give you not only the permit, but also a detailed description of the trail with photos and GPS coordinates, as well as safety instructions.
Those who want to hike to the Wave in summer should prepare for great heat. On almost the entire trail there is no shade!!!
We wish everyone good luck!!!
If you want to get a taste of what to expect on the hike to the Wave and the area around it, you can read here what we have experienced.